Businesses from all sectors will need the services of a design agency, whether that be assistance with branding, digital and motion design, at some point.
Demand for expertise in those areas is growing too in a modern, digital-focused commercial world.
For that reason, it is essential to collaborate with an agency that you can be confident will best represent what your company stands for.
We have created a guide that takes you, step by step, through the design process from an initial understanding of the fundamentals of your project through to a successful outcome.
Before starting work, a professional design agency will dedicate time to understanding your brand and its values.
At that stage, the more you share about your business in terms of what it does, how it operates and, most importantly, why – an element that defines its very existence – then the smoother the whole process becomes.
The brief
For any project, the first step is to agree a brief with your chosen agency.
The detail within it acts as a guide for the overall direction of a piece of work.
A brief should start by describing clearly your requirements, including deadlines and expected outcomes.
They must be realistic, acknowledging that while every agency will be used to working towards completing a project within an agreed timeframe, high-quality output shouldn’t be rushed.
Next, the intended audience should be studied carefully.
What are its members interested in? What are they looking for? What sorts of things do they engage with?
The richer an understanding the target market, the more likely your chosen design agency will deliver the results you crave.
Including any visual materials you have seen that you like the look of, inspire you, or are similar to what you would like to incorporate in your project, is useful.
Design agencies thrive off initial creative input from clients because it helps to set an appropriate tone from the outset.
Setting up the project
Once you have a brief, and have agreed to work with a design agency, the next stage is to set up your project.
Communication is key at all times.
Admittedly, during the coronavirus pandemic, face-to-face meetings aren’t always viable.
However, using tools such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams can facilitate discussion about how to move forward.
This part of the process should include decisions about a schedule, perhaps agreeing dates on which to review progress.
These discussions should always take place at the beginning to ensure the creative team at the design agency can plan its workload accordingly.
After that, consideration should be given how the project is managed, thinking about who specifically should act as lead and which individuals are the points of contact on both sides.
How will they communicate with each other?
Updates ought to be shared often to make sure everybody involved knows how the project is evolving.
While many people are based temporarily from home, away from their usual place of work or office, that may too have to be done in a virtual setting.
If updates are recorded, then a decision is needed too as to where they are shared and on which platform – for example, by sending email, using Dropbox, or WeTransfer.
Communication
Maintaining regular and substantive communication with your chosen design agency is important to develop a productive working relationship.
As mentioned above, establishing how, and when, you plan to do so helps to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
Of course, communication is a two-way process and both sides must take their share of responsibility to meet deadlines or keep appointments.
During progress meetings, you will have an opportunity to talk honestly about how you feel the project is progressing, and the work that is being done.
If something isn’t going as you’d like, it is essential to be open and share as much with the design agency so that a resolution can be found.
Designers will always be grateful for any constructive and valuable feedback, particularly if it is specific.
While art is subjective, it becomes a challenge to solve problems if you can’t identify specifically what you’d like to change.
With greater detail, a designer is more likely to meet expectation.
Above all, you should trust the know-how and expertise of a design agency.
You have chosen to collaborate them for a reason, and that is because you have identified a creative team that possesses both the skill set and experience to achieve your objectives.
Being open to their suggestions will help the creative process, and is likely to result in work that surpasses your expectation.
Talk to us
If you want to know more about working with a design agency, then why not get in touch with us today?
Let the team at Dawn Creative help you deliver your project on time, within budget and to a highest standard.
Call us on 0161 711 0910 or send an email to wakeup@dawncreative.co.uk.
We have complete faith that you’ll love what we do, which is why we promise to return your money if you don’t.
